Duty-Bound [ Lore of Penrua: Book II ]

20

"Thank Zanara that's over," said Matei. There was a soft clink as he set the neck of a decanter against a goblet, and then a delicate trickle as he poured wine. He handed the goblet to Mhera, then poured for himself.

"I was not certain we would be safe," said Mhera. She took a sip of wine, then lowered herself into a chair. They were in a drawing room in the late emperor's apartments, a room in which she had never been before. The room lacked the airy, gleaming qualities of the rest of the palace. It was decorated in deep red and gold. A grand fireplace commanded attention from the center of one wall, and the polished floors had been covered with hand-woven rugs; the chairs were upholstered in velvet, and the furnishings—tall bookcases, side tables, and an impressive writing desk—were all of warm, dark wood. She pictured her uncle moving about in this place, a private world, and could not quite see him there.

"They may hate us, but no one would have dared move against us in the Temple," said Matei. "Not with soldiers standing by, at least."

After the coronation, Matei and Mhera had returned to the palace and eaten a spare dinner among those they trusted. The halls were still barren, empty of more than a handful of servants and any courtiers at all. They had then retired to the parlor to talk, still dressed in their finery. Mhera suspected Matei craved time alone as much as she did.

She reached up and took off the silver circlet the priest had placed on her brow during the coronation, turning it in the light. She wondered when she would begin to feel like the empress they had named her and less like a frightened girl. "Now the work begins," she said. "If they could not move against us today, they will surely find a way to do so now."

"We must waste no time in gaining control." Matei strode over to one of the tall book cases that flanked the fireplace. He set his goblet on a shelf and crouched down, looking through the large, leather-bound folios that were stacked on one side of the lowest shelf. He pulled one out, retrieved his goblet, and strode over to Mhera, choosing a seat beside her. "I have an idea."

"Tell me."

Matei opened the folio and flipped through a few heavy pages. Then he turned it so Mhera could see. At first, she didn't know what it was; it looked to be a meaningless purple blotch with spidery lines of black ink tracing through it every which way. Then, she noticed a wider black line framing the image and some familiar shapes in the top right hand corner—a curved rectangle, a square, a circle; shapes that could represent the palace, the Sovereign Square, the Imperial Temple. "A map?" she guessed.

"Indeed—a map of the Holy City. Last time I saw this I was just a boy, but it can't have changed much. Now, you must know that most of this city is populated by the Arcborn." He drew a curved line with his fingertip, tracing out an area around the palace proper. "This part here is the Starborn quarter; the rest is where the Arcborn live and work."

Mhera had known that the Arcborn outnumbered the Starborn in the city, as they did in most parts of the realm, but to see the shape of the division was new. "I hadn't known they had such a large piece of Karelin."

"It is not clear until one sees it on a map, especially for those of us who moved for so long among the nobility alone. Now: imagine the city in quarters, like this." He drew an X through the city; one of the lines crossed from the northeast corner to the southwest, bisecting the palace along the way; the other crossed in the opposite direction. "Four quadrants. One mostly Starborn; two mostly Arcborn; one divided. That cannot be much helped, in terms of geography."

"Why would we divide the city?" Mhera asked.

"Of course, we would not physically divide it. We divide it only in concept on the map. We will find streets to form the borders. Each of these quadrants—north, south, east, west—would have representation on our council, with a hand in governing the city. Those who live within each quadrant will have the choosing of the council members for their part of the city."

"Representation?"

"Yes—someone chosen by the people. I thought, perhaps, two people from each quadrant would form good number. Together, they would comprise the city's new council. I would hope to enact a similar institution for broader-reaching government, but I think we must try our hand at it here in the city first; if we can bring control back to Karelin, perhaps we will succeed in using this method to bring peace to the realm as a whole."

"What of the High Council?" Mhera knit her brow, reaching for the folio Matei held. He handed it over, and she looked down at the map, picturing the division in her mind. "There are a dozen titled lords who sat on Uncle's council; what will you do with them?"

Matei shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Mhera, but I don't see much use for lordships in the world we are building."

Mhera frowned, looking up at Matei. She turned over his proposal in her mind. It was all very new to her; she didn't know the first thing about governing a household, let alone a city or an entire realm. But it seemed to her that the changes Matei proposed were dangerous. "Do you think that wise? To turn them out?"

"Do you think it wise to keep them? Mhera, they will not be our allies; I think in most cases, we'll find they are our enemies."

"Perhaps, but is it not better to keep one's enemies near at hand, Matei? Besides, these are men like you—raised to leadership, to power. They are used to governing. They have a wealth of experience and knowledge that could be a boon to us. And while I know it is naïve to hope for too many allies among them, do you not think they must fear for their lands and titles today? If we were to allow them to keep both, would they not be inclined to ally with us?"

Matei snorted. "Unlikely. But you do have a point about enemies—it is best to have one near at hand, the better to know what he is plotting."

"I think we should make these decisions slowly and cautiously; that's all I mean. Your idea to draw council members from the citizens is a good one. It is certainly a way forward, but you should not be overhasty in tearing down the structures that already stand. We'll find the road before us difficult enough...should we not choose carefully what we change?"

"Perhaps you have a point." Matei drained his wine, then looked into the empty goblet, turning it in his hand so the last blood-colored drops trickled round the bowl. "I do not like the idea of working with those men."

With a smile, Mhera said, "Well, I suspect they do not relish the thought of working with you—with us—either, Matei, but they must. You and I must try to work with them in our turn."

Let's poll the crowd: Whose side are you on in this matter? Should the sovereigns allow the Starborn nobility to keep their posts on the High Council, or should they chuck the whole tradition out the window and go for direct representation at once?

They've already made their decision, but I'm sure they are interested in your perspective!

Thanks for reading. I'm tickled pink that we're at mile marker 20! On Fri-yay!, Uachi will be there, so come prepared for the sass.